Demetrius Poulos

Involvement on campus: Teaching Computer Science to Middle School Students

Career aspirations: Software Developer

How has CAE helped you create your Wisconsin Experience?

CAE has provided me with the necessary tools in order to do everything that I’ve done within my Wisconsin Experience. CAE allowed for a place for me to go when I needed guidance, support, or just a place to study. All of the workshops that CAE offered were very beneficial and varied in topics, ranging from studying tips to career and job guidance. The workshops brought all of these different resources across campus to one location for our convenience and it exposed me to many resources that our campus has that I never even knew existed before CAE. Without CAE, I don’t think that I would’ve utilized all that this campus has to offer, which would have restricted me from reaching my full potential.

What has been a memorable experience in college so far?

Freshman year Welcome Week has to be one of my best college experiences. Transitioning into college was a big change for me, and Welcome Week definitely allowed me to start college off on the right foot. Some of my best memories were just meeting all of the awesome people in the residence hall who became good friends and just seeing the different backgrounds that we all came from. Welcome Week provided a lot of fun experiences with new friends, and it definitely made the first week of classes so much easier to transition into because I was already settled into my new environment.

Describe what you are looking forward to after graduating?

After graduation, I’m looking forward to getting a job and starting a new chapter in my life. What I’m most excited for is seeing how I can apply what I have learned and the skills that I have gained during my time here into whatever job I end up doing. I believe that we all have unique skills and talents that we all could use in order to help benefit society as a whole, and I’m excited to see how I fit into the equation.

What is one thing you wish you would’ve known coming in as a freshman?

One thing that I wish I would’ve known is that while grades are important, outside activities and involvement are just as important. One thing I regret from my time here is that I feel that I have spent too much time focusing and worrying about my grades and not enough time on involvement and my own side projects. Grades definitely are important, but during the interview and job process, I’ve learned that what you have done on your own outside of class is a big contribution to you as a whole package. Being able to show that you are willing to go out on your own and learn something new or to get involved with different groups on campus really allows you to improve your résumé and allows you to have something else to talk about in an interview. This also allows you to find new things out about yourself that you would’ve never known before if you never went out and tried a new activity or skill. I wish I would’ve known this as a freshman so that I could’ve better prepared myself for the future even earlier in my time here.

What tips do you have for getting to know faculty?

To get to know faculty, all you have to do is talk to them. The faculty here want to get to know you and be able to help you, but they can’t do that if you don’t talk to them. This could be done before or after class, but the best way to get to know faculty is by going to their office hours. Faculty specifically have office hours so that students could go and ask questions or just talk, so it is smart to use this time you have with them to your advantage. This is how you build a relationship with that faculty member, which is adding another connection to your network of resources that you will continue to grow throughout life. These connections that you make with faculty members will be beneficial in the future because you might need a letter of recommendation from someone or a reference for a job position, so it is important to try to get to know some of the faculty here on campus.